Auburn Tigers: new team in land of the giants

Australia’s first women’s AFL team in western Sydney, the Auburn Tigers, are the changing their stripes.

They are now the Auburn Giants.

The club is adopting the name and the colours of AFL club, Greater Western Sydney Giants.

Formed in 2011, the previously known Auburn Tigers, made headlines across Australia as the first women’s AFL team in western Sydney.

The 2014 Sydney Women’s AFL competition starts on Saturday, April 5, when Auburn Giants play Penrith Ramettes in the second division competition at Mona Park, Auburn, at 9am.

The team includes a number of Muslim women from diverse cultural backgrounds

In a major boost for women’s AFL, Auburn Giants will play Moorebank Mounties Magpies as the curtain raiser before the Greater Western Sydney Giants versus Carlton round 14 game at Spotless Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park, on Sunday, June 22.

The announcement of the new Giants women’s team was made at the recent annual International Women’s Day.

Greater Western Sydney Giants chief executive David Matthews said they welcome the women’s team to the Giants fold.

‘‘The Auburn Giants celebrate diversity and inclusion in western Sydney and we welcome them to the family,’’ Mr Matthews said.

‘‘We want to embrace the different cultures that make up western Sydney.

‘‘One of the great strengths of our game is it is open to everyone regardless of their background and the Auburn Giants embody that.’’

Auburb’s co-founder and football operations manager Amna Karra-Hassan said it was a major step for the club and AFL in western Sydney.

“This partnership with the Giants is a fantastic opportunity to encourage people from a range of multicultural communities to be involved with AFL,’’ she said.

“We hope this attracts new players, supporters, sponsors and volunteers to the Auburn Giants and to the game.

Lael Kassem from the Auburn Giants won the Giants Women in Community Football Award in 2013.